I love to cook fish during the summer months. It tastes great on the grill and it usually not such a heavy meal — leaving our family feeling satisfied but not stuffed! Interestingly enough I’ve had many guests who say that they don’t like fish. Usually when I pry further I discover that the reason they don’t like fish is because their experience has been eating frozen commercially prepared fish or simply fish that is not fresh. Here are some tips for making sure that your fish is the best it possibly can be and the end result on your plate is heavenly.

Tip #1: Make sure your fish is fresh!

The biggest rule of all is if the fish smells "fishy" then it is no longer good. Don’t eat it! If you are buying whole fish look for:

• Moist, and even slippery, skin
• A shiny skin with firmly attached scales (If Unscaled) and bright coloring
• Bright red, moist gills
• Firm flesh, which bounces back when touched
• Crystal clear eyes - not sunken into the surrounding skin
• A fresh smell

Most people these days don’t buy whole fish — so if you prefer just to buy fillets or steaks look for:

• Firm flesh
• Clear white or red color, depending on the variety of fish
• Even coloring
• Firm flesh, which bounces back when touched
• Moist appearance
• A fresh smell

Tip #2: Determining how much to serve

Here’s a general guideline of how much to serve per main course serving:

• Fillets and steaks: 5-8 ounces per person
• Shrimp & Scallops: 5-7 ounces per person (shelled)
• Clams & Mussels: 3/4 lb. per person
• Lobster: 1-1/2 lbs. in the shell
• Whole Fish: 3/4 to 1 lb. per person
• Oysters: 1/2 dozen per person (main course)

Tip #3: Storing Fresh Fish

I usually recommend eating the fish the day it is purchased…although I realize this is not always practical. If you can’t eat it that day here are some tips on how to keep your fish the freshest.

After buying, wrap fish in waxed paper or place in a covered dish and refrigerate. It is important to cook as soon as possible, although really fresh fish can be refrigerated for a day or two. Frozen fish may be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. However, I have found that fish that has been frozen tends to taste fishier than fresh fish regardless of how fresh it was when it was frozen.

You can store live clams and mussels in the refrigerator in an open container covered with a moist cloth for up to 2 days.

One final note: I am a firm believer that crab should be eaten as soon as possible. It does not store well.

Tip #4: Making the best of frozen fish

Frozen fish should be stored at -18°C or less. It should be thawed out overnight in a refrigerator. It should NOT be thawed out in water as this spoils the taste and texture of the fish and valuable water-soluble nutrients are lost. Fish should not be re-frozen as this will impair its taste and texture.

Catch of the Day Recipes!

This month we have some fabulous fish and shellfish recipes that we hope you will enjoy!

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 lb. medium shrimp, shelled & deveined
• 1/4 cup gf ketchup
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded, stemmed and minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tablespoon gf horseradish
• 1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
• Lime juice to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute or until pink and opaque. Drain the shrimp and place in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup and tomato sauce. Stir in the cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic, horseradish and avocado. Season to taste with lime juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve cocktail sauce with chilled shrimp.

Makes 4 servings.

Directions:

For crab sauce:

• Shells from 2 crabs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 quart gf chicken broth
• 4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons brandy
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

For stew:

• 1 lb cooked crab meat
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 8 asparagus, the tender sections chopped into
• 1/2" pieces
• 1-1/2 lbs quartered mushrooms
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

For crab sauce:

Add oil to a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add crab shells, onion, celery, garlic and thyme and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Strain solids from liquid and return liquid to a clean pot over medium-high heat. Add brandy and reduce until about 1-1/2 cups remain. Add cream and simmer for another 10 minutes. Whisk in butter. Add parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For stew:

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add carrots and cook until just tender then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Add asparagus to boiling water and cook until just tender then remove to ice water.

In a separate pot, add oil over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a plate. Add tomatoes to pot over medium-high heat and cook until their liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper. Add crab sauce, mushrooms carrots, asparagus and parsley to the tomatoes over medium heat, stirring gently to blend. Add crab meat and toss until heated through. Serve over rice.

Grilled Scallops with Tomato Relish

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 16 sea scallops
• Olive oil for brushing grill

Prepare the grill.

Soak the onion in 1 cup water along with 1/2 teaspoon salt for about 15 minutes. Drain. Stir together the onion, tomato, vinegar, sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain relish in a sieve, discarding liquid then stir in the basil.

Pat the scallops dry and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Note it is very important that the scallops are dry. Grill scallops in 2 batches on a lightly oiled grill rack, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes total.

Serve scallops with Tomato Relish.

Enjoy!

-Glutenfreeda